The Value of a Public Library

byJames FurbushonMarch 7, 2012

“The Public Library in Shutesbury, MA has made a movie that made me cry ACTUAL HUMAN TEARS OF HAPPINESS. Support them, and support your local library. That is all,” says John Hodgeman. I’m inclined to agree. I can’t fathom a world in which the public library — a centralized meeting place for knowledge — doesn’t exist.

Now, you might argue that the Internet is the world’s public library. And fine, I can’t argue with that and would tend to agree. But there’s something different about a physical library. There’s a different energy to it that the Internet can’t replicate and for communities without decent Internet access (yes, that’s still a thing) the library still reigns supreme.